A Copy of a LETTER Sent by the Agents of several Regiments of his EXCELLENCY'S Army, (that are resolved to the last drop of their blood, to stand for the Liberties and Freedoms of the people of England,) to all the Soldiers in the said Army. Novemb. 11. 1647. Gentlemen and fellow Soldiers; WE esteem it our duty to render you an account of our present state of affairs with us, and at the head Quarters: we have been consulting about the most speedy and effectual settlement of your and all the people's freedoms, whereby the people may be disposed into a capacity and willingness to provide constant pay, and secure our arrears: we find by sad experience that there was no possibility of obtaining either, so long as the settlement of the people's freedoms was delayed; and therefore as well in love and real respects to you, as to our dear Country, we were constrained to propound the foundations of freedoms, to be forthwith established by a mutual agreement between the people and you; and though we dare aver, that there is nothing contained in that Agreement, nor in the case of the Army stated, which is propounded to be insisted on, but what is at least the equitable sense, of our sense, of our former Declarations and Remonstrances; yet we find many at the head Quarters obstructing and opposing our proceed: we sent some to them to debate in love the matters and manners of the Argument. And the first Article thereof being long debated, it was concluded by Vote in the Affirmative; viz. That all Soldiers and others, if they be not servants or beggars, aught to have voices in electing those which shall represent them in Parliament, although they have not forty shillings in the year, by freehold Land. And there were but three voices against this your native freedom. After this they would refer all to a Committee, and the next General Council our friends obtained a general Randezvouz, and a Letter from the Council to clear the Army from any desire or intent of constraining the Parliament to send new Propositions to the King, whereby your indemnity for fight against the King, should be begged of the King, and so the gilt of innocent blood laid upon your own beads, and your enemies shall boast and insult over you, saying, You were forced to ask them to save you harmless. At the next meeting a Declaration was offered to the Council, wherein the King's corrupt interest was so intermixed, that in a short time, if he should so come in, he would be in a capacity to destroy you, and the people; and assure yourselves, if any power be in the least given to him, he will improve it to the utmost to enslave and ruin you that conquered him, and to advance your enemies to trample upon you. Upon this we desired only a free debate of this Question; Whether it were safe, either for the Army, or the people, to suffer any power to be given to the King: and Lieutenant General Crumwell, and the rest, professed as before God, they would freely debate it; and monday last, a general Council was appointed for that purpose; but when they met they wholly refused, and in stead of that spoke very reproachfully of us and our Actions, and declared against that which was past the Council before, Concerning the voices of those in Election, which have not forty shillings by the year freehold, and against the Letter sent by the Council to the Parliament, and the day before Commissary General Ireton withdrew and protested he would act no more with them, unless they recalled the Letter, and to prevent any further debate, they would have dissolved the Council for above a fortnight; and thus our hopes of agreeing together to settle your and the people's freedoms were then frustrated, and though the chief of them had desired some of our friends, not above three days before to go on in their actings, for they might come in when they should do us more service than at that time, yet than they made great outcries against us, and complaints of distempers in the Army, which were nothing but endeavours after their rights and freedoms. The next day they still waved and refused the free debate of the aforesaid Question, and dissolved this Council for above a fortnight; and for a time resolved they would only prepare some fair Propositions to the Army, and about Arrears and pay, and sent to the Parliament for a months pay against a Randezvourz; But they declared they would divide the Army into three parts, to Randezvouz severally; and all this appears to be only to draw off the Army from joining together, to settle those clear foundations of Freedom propounded to you, & to procure your rights as you are Soldiers effectually, without any more delusions. Thus you may observe the strange unconstancy of those who would obstruct your ways, and the great matter wherein the difference lies, and the candidness of our actings, but we hope it will be no discouragement unto you, though your Officers, yea, the greatest Officers, should apostatise from you; It's well known that the great Officers which now oppose, did as much oppose secretly when we refused to disband according to the Parliaments Order; and at last they confessed the Providence of God was the more wonderful; because those resolutions to stand for Freedom and justice began among the Soldiers only. And yet now they would affright you from such actings, by telling you, its disobedience to the General's commands, and distempers, and mu●i●les: these were the words of those men in Parliament, and which opposed you before; and you may consider that you had done as much service for the people, by disobedience to the Parliament, as ever you did by obedience; if you had fulfilled your Declarations and Engagements, which you then passed, as for the months pay if it came, you may consider it's but your due, and yet we believe none had been procured for you, unless we had thus appeared. And if any Declarations or Propositions about Pay, or Arrears, be offered to you, remember you have been fed with papers too long, we desire that there may be a general Randezvouz, and no parting each from other till we be fully assured we shall not return to burden the Country by freequarter, until our Arrears be actually secured, and the foundations of our native Freedom, Peace, and security in the Agreement established; and likewise till a sure way be set 〈◊〉 for calling all Committees, Sequestrators, and Parliament men to account for the Country's money, that so the Country might know we intent their good and freedom: we know some fair overtures will be made to you about Pay, Arrears, seeming Freedom, and security: But we hope as you formerly, rejected such overtures from the Parliament, knowing that without a settlement of Freedom, no constant pay, or Arrears will be provided, so now we are confident you will not be deceived, and hope you are all resolved of a general Randezvouz; that we may all agree together in fulfilling our Declarations, and Engagements to the people; that so, we may not become the objects of scorn and hatred; We shall now only add we are Yours and the peoples for common Rights, and Freedoms; General's Regiment. Edward Saxbee Edmund Bear Life Guard. Commissarie General's Regiment. William Michael George Hassall William Perkins Leut. Generals Regiment Robert Everard john Walter Coll. fleetwood's R. William Pryor Coll. Oklies R. Humphrey Daveis Col. waller's R. George Clark Coll. Harrison R. Joseph Aleyn Coll. Whalyes R. Richard Seal William Russell Coll. Lilburnes R. Richard Hilyer Christopher Belsen Thomas George Andrew Devil Michall Everard London the 11th of Novem. 1647. Postscript. Gentlemen; THe urgent necessity of one General Randezvouz, wherein we may so insist upon our Rights as Soldiers, and the settlement of our Freedoms as Englishmen, still appears more evident to us. This day the Parliament considered the Proposition from the Army, that Deans and Chapters Lands should be part of our security for Arrears, and they refused to grant it: we see no good will be done but by a General Randezvouz, and remember the Parliament would have brought us to several Randezvouz, when they would have divided and disbanded us, therefore we wish that we may so remember our engagement, as we may all resolve to meet, and not to part until the rights and freedoms of us all, and of all our Countryman be settled and secured. FINIS.